ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — the cause
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — of the year
  19. root — of a plant
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — a list
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com